16. Grace
16
GRACE
“Who the hell is that?” I hear a man ask.
I’m disoriented and my head is killing me. I lay still, afraid to move as I get my bearings. I’m lying on something hard, but I can tell I’m in a vehicle. I can hear the hum of the engine. I think there’s a window cracked too because I can hear the difference in the wind.
“Fuck if I know. They’re on our ass back there,” another man says. Hearing his voice brings back when I was abducted at the casino. That guy is the one referred to as Zero. I don’t know them, but apparently, they were after me because I was talking to Andrew. I heard them say that much. It’s just my luck Andrew would show up in my life once more and get me kidnapped. Jesus, my grandmother was right. I really am cursed. Right now, I need to figure out how to get myself out of this situation. I have Asher to think about. He needs me.
“I say we pull over and cap the motherfuckers,” Zero answers.
“Do you have a brain in there somewhere, Zero? Prez told us to keep a low profile. Leaving dead bodies along the way is not low profile, you idiot.”
I slowly open my eyes, looking around. I need a plan. Well, really, I need a gun. I get the feeling these guys aren’t smart, but I doubt even they are dumb enough to leave one of those lying around. Before I even get the chance to find anything that might help, the vehicle jerks and starts skidding violently.
“What the fuck? This has to be Vector. How in the hell did the asshole find us so soon?”
“Who knows? He probably went to get his dick wet by his bitch and discovered she was gone,” the other guy growls, finally getting the van back under control. The only good thing about any of this is the dumbasses aren’t paying attention to me. Our van gets rammed again while they start fighting. I quickly look around for some type of weapon. There’s nothing. I want to cry.
I refuse to do that.
After my relationship with Benny, I wanted to be able to defend myself and protect Asher. I enrolled in every self-defense class that I could find. Every instructor I’ve had tells me I’m one of the best they’ve taught. I don’t know if they were just being nice or not. I do know I tried extremely hard. It was important to me. That doesn’t mean I’m not terrified right now. I’ve never had a real opponent. I’ve always gone against other members in the group I was in, or my instructor. What if they weren’t really trying? What if everything I thought I have learned amounts to nothing? If I attack Zero, there’s a good chance he will kill me. Then again, if I don’t, he will kill me anyway. Basically, I have nothing to lose.
I feel the vehicle following us hit ours again. Zero and whoever the other guy is, are yelling at one another, much louder than before. I hear panic in their voices. If I’m going to take my shot, it has to be now. I have to hope they’re right and that it is Andrew following us. For some reason, I imagine Ford in my mind, coming to my rescue. My heart squeezes in my chest a little and I find myself wishing it was him—imagining that I was important enough to him that he’d hunt down my kidnappers and whisk me away to safety.
Stupid.
Life has taught me that no man is going to save me. There’s no happily ever after for me. I sit up slowly, shaking off the nausea and dizzy sensation that threatens to take over. I can’t let it. They put something over my mouth earlier when they began pulling me toward an exit. I tried to fight, but I’d already made a mistake by letting them get the jump on me. My instructor would have had my head. If I survive this, I’ll have to let him know what an idiot I was. I slowly get into a crouching position. I don’t want to draw attention to myself. Luckily, my kidnappers are busy still arguing with one another. I clasp my hands together and bring them down, hard and fast, to the back of the man’s neck. Hearing him argue—this time while paying attention—I know this is probably the one called Zero.
“What the fuck?” The man driving cries. He tries to reach for me, but he’s easy to sidestep because he has to drive, and at least half-way look at the road.
Zero growls, but my hit has him momentarily distracted— which is good. I use the precious seconds of surprise that I have to brace myself on the side of the van, raise my leg, and stomp as hard as I can into my kidnapper’s groin. I’m thankful I’m wearing the pointiest heels I have. They’re not stilettos, but they’re not bad. When he cries out, I feel like I’ve made my mark. I grind in the heel and toe—hoping I manage to completely destroy at least one of his testicles. I’m slung backwards when the van is hit again. My head hits hard and I take a minute to get my bearings. Zero is still writhing on the floor. I slam my foot down on the side of his face again. I don’t know that I need to, but it makes me feel a little better.
Zero cries out and the other guy starts screaming. “Stop that, you crazy bitch!”
He slams on the brakes, and I grab the side of the van to hold on. Before the man can get out of his seat, I fumble to find the doorhandle. I manage to get it open and jump out, but I can feel the man behind me. I want to run, but I come to a standstill when I see the van is surrounded by men in black suits—all holding guns.
I look around, praying that these men belong to Andrew. Somehow, I know they don’t. I’m pretty sure they’re not Ford’s either. I start to move to the side, hoping they’ll let me get away, while praying they’re here for my kidnappers—and not me.
“It may have been years, but it seems you’re as stupid as ever, Grace. If you try to run, my men will kill you. The choice is yours.”
I hear a voice to my right that I never wanted to hear again. My stomach drops and it takes everything I have to hold myself up, because my legs want to give way. I feel like I can’t breathe as I force myself to look at the Devil himself.
“Benny,” I gasp.
“Hello, wife. Did you miss me?”
“You’re supposed to stay away from me. We have a deal.”
He laughs, the sound as cold as ice. “I own you, Grace. I don’t make deals. You think you and that fucking pig, Garcia, can go behind my back to the Korslovas and get rid of me? You have no idea who you are dealing with. You belong to me and I’m not letting you go. First, I’m going to take care of this little situation and then, you and I will go get our son. I’m feeling magnanimous, but I’m warning you, if you try to cross me again, you won’t like how it ends,” he says, his cold, dark eyes staring right at me—chilling me to the bone.
“Benny—”
He holds up his hand and I immediately snap my mouth shut. I know all too well what happens if you willingly challenge him in front of others.
“Good, pet,” he praises, making me sick.
“What the fuck is going on here?” The guy who was chasing me asks. “Who are you?”
“I think you don’t see the guns pointing at you. I’m the one who asks the questions here.”
“I don’t want any trouble with you. I’m just here to get this bitch to my boss. That’s it.”
“That’s my wife. So, you can’t have her,” Benny responds, sounding bored.
“I’m going to fucking kill her!” Zero growls, coming out of the van, his face red and I think he’s been crying. He’s got a hand hovering near his groin, too. I hope that means I did a lot of damage.
Before I realize what he’s going to do, he grabs my hair and pulls me around to face him and punches me in the jaw. I can taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth almost instantly. Pain explodes inside me, and my head is jerked back as I fall down onto the road.
I cry out from the jarring fall, my hand cradling my cheek. I let out a scream as a gunshot rings out and my face and clothes are splattered with blood. Zero’s dead corpse drops beside me. I immediately crawl backwards to try to get away from him.
“Listen, I don’t want any problem here?—”
I scream again as Benny shoots the other kidnapper and he drops.
“Load her into the car and let’s head to the safe house. We’ll plan things out from there and get my son back before we put things into motion,” Benny says, then turns around without even sparing me another glance. I watch him walk away and with each step, I feel any hope I had of getting back to my son completely die.